Make You Believe
by SuperNaturalGH
Summary: Six billion people in the world. Six billion beautiful souls. And, sometimes, all you need is just one.
1. Chapter 1

_When someone saves your life. When they find you in the snow and they drag you up. And make you walk. And bring you help when you told them not to. They make you drink gallons of soup. And when they lie to everyone they know. That's more than friends. There's no word for what I feel for you._

The familiar scent of the ocean air mixed with the musky breeze of the small quaint town surrounds him as he steps out of the local airport, causing his nose to scrunch up at the offending smell. Though there had been a time when the air did not affect him, it has been many years since he lived within the boarders of that town.

Nearly a decade, six years to be exact, he has traveled far and wide through many different countries. From the jungles of Africa to the top of the Egyptian pyramids, through the wilderness of Madagascar and along the Great Wall of China, he forsook the more civilized world for the comforts of nature and the animals that inhabit it.

Unless it had been absolutely necessary, he avoided people like one would avoid the plague, finding life simpler that way. On his own, there were no need for pointless conversations and, most importantly, no chances to be betrayed. For who was there to betray him but himself?

One thing he has learnt, however, is that no one can run away forever. No matter how fast or far you run, sooner or later you will end up right back where you started, face to face with the very thing you had run away from. Hopefully when the time comes, however, you are prepared for the confrontation you had fled to prevent.

Slinging his duffel bag across his back, he slowly makes his way through the town, reacquainting himself with the place he had once called home. Strange how things seemed to feel so different yet look pretty much the same when he'd left it.

The usual patrons still sit at the local diner, probably eating the usual meals that they've eaten a million times over. The PCPD still looks as tattered as it had the day he left, as useless as ever, he'd assume by the lazy cops that are simply hanging out by their cars. Same crap, different cops.

One significant change, however, would have to be the Port Charles Hotel. Where the old hotel used to stand, a new one now resides, the Metro Court Hotel. In his opinion, they should have just stuck with the original name, personally finding the new name to be a little tacky.

"Well, I'll be damned." Jake, the owner of the local bar Jake's, exclaims when he walks through the door of her establishment. "And here I thought I'd be retired before I saw you in this place again."

"Jake." he says in greeting, walking over to the bar before dropping his duffel bag down on the floor. "How have you been?"

"Kid, you don't have enough hours in the day for that." she chuckles, popping the top off a couple bottles of beer before sliding one over to him. "Should I assume that you got my message?"

"I got it." he confirms. "You sure you want to sell the place?"

"I wouldn't have made the offer if I wasn't." she counters simply, downing the last of her beer. "Honestly, I've been wanting to retire for quite some time."

"Why haven't you?"

"I've been waiting for the right buyer." Jake admits, always knowing that he'd be the one she sold the place to. "This place has been my baby for a really long time. I wasn't about to sell her to just anyone."

"I can understand that." he replies with a glance around the bar. "If you're serious about selling, I'll buy it from you."

Reaching below the bar, neatly fitted in a waterproof bag, Jake pulls out the documents that would successfully transfer ownership of her bar to the man standing across from her, clearly having put a lot of thought into letting go her business.

"I've done all the legwork, all you have to do is dot the Is and cross the Ts." Jake says with complete conviction, placing an ink pen down upon the bagged documents. "You can have your lawyer give it a once over if you want."

"That won't be necessary." he says simply, pulling the documents out of the bag before signing and initialing the highlighted places before handing it to her along with the check. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"How did you know I'd come back?" he questions with apt curiosity. "Those papers weren't drawn up for any buyer...they were drawn up for me, specifically."

"Call it blind faith." she replies with a slight smile. "This place means a lot to you. I had hoped that sooner or later you'd make your way back here to take claim to it."

Picking up his duffel bag from the floor, he heads upstairs to his old apartment, key in hand. Of all the things in the quaint town that has not changed, a part of him was thankful that this place was one of them, unable to stomach it if this place had turned into something tacky the way the old hotel has.

Admittedly, the musky smell of the bar would take some getting used to again, but he's willing to make the effort. No matter how he feels about certain places and people that reside within that town, this bar would always hold a special place in his heart, prompting him to do whatever it took to make sure that it never changed.


	2. Chapter 2

_When someone saves your life. When they find you in the snow and they drag you up. And make you walk. And bring you help when you told them not to. They make you drink gallons of soup. And when they lie to everyone they know. That's more than friends. There's no word for what I feel for you._

Blindly walking through the small town that has come to mean so much to her, she tries to force the images out of her mind, the images of her husband with another woman. If she can even be considered that. Of all the people to betray her, she honestly can't understand why she was even surprised by this.

How many times in the past did he turn his back on her, betraying her trust and her heart? By now she should be used to him pulling out the rug from beneath her, betraying everything that they had both built up by tearing it down to shambles. In spite of all the past events, she was truly and utterly shocked by the newest betrayal in the long list of betrayals from her first love.

Tears frozen in her eyes, she tries to think of a place to go, somewhere to help dull the pain of yet another marriage that has burst into flames before her eyes. Her feet continue to carry her through the town, planting her outside the local bar before her mind could catch up, eliciting a soft smile to touch her lips in spite of herself.

"Hey, Jake." Elizabeth greets the bartender, shutting the door behind her as the musky atmosphere of the bar envelopes her in a warm embrace. "Still open?"

"Like you have to ask." Jake counters, grabbing a couple glasses from the bar. "Tequila?"

"Make it a double, please." she replies, plopping down onto the stool after shrugging out of her jacket. "And keep 'em coming."

"Do I want to know?"

"No." she sighs, downing the shot with ease. "Trust me, you don't."

"Why don't you try me anyway?"

"Okay, sure. Its not like you won't hear about it sooner or later." she downs another shot, the liquid leaving a burning sensation on the way down. "Lucky's having an affair with Maxie Jones."

"Wish I could say that I was surprised." Jake pours another shot, filling it to the rim. "That kid just never learns."

"No, he never does." she agrees, downing the shot before slamming the glass back down on the bar. "On top of that, he's addicted to pain killers. God, I sure know how to pick 'em, don't I?"

"Drink up, kid." Jake counters, pouring yet another shot of tequila into Elizabeth's glass. "It may not solve anything, but it sure as hell helps."

"I shouldn't." she sighs, running her finger along the mouth of the glass. "I still have to make my way back home, remember?"

"Not tonight." Jake replies simply, tossing the keys to one of the apartment upstairs onto the bar. "Tonight you are going to get blind drunk before crashing out upstairs."

"Yeah, because that'll feel so great tomorrow."

"Worry about that tomorrow." she counters simply. "Even if I don't condone this on a regular basis, getting blind drunk is exactly what you need right now. So...drink up."

Forsaking that little voice in the back of her mind that was telling her that this was a bad idea, Elizabeth slams one shot after another, not caring about the major hangover that will undoubtedly welcome her in the coming morning.

Slowly her body starts to become numb to the pain she had been feeling earlier that night, knowing that she should thank Jake for the escape, but her speech wasn't exactly in the shape to voice anything at the moment. If her mouth were to open at the moment, nothing coherent is bound to escape her lips.

Somewhere between half the the bottle to one third of the bottle, Jake makes her way towards the doorway leading to the stairs, having noticed a certain blonde standing just shy of the threshold. After many nights of Elizabeth hanging out at the bar, she has learnt more than her fair share of what had happened between the two.

"You just gonna stand here all night?" Jake questions curiously when he steps into the light of the bar.

"She okay?"

"She look okay to you?" she counters, eyeing him intently. "She could use a friend, if you ask me."

Glancing over at the drunk brunette still cradling her shot glass between her fingers, Jason lets out a deep sigh, unsure of whether or not he was ready to face her again. Obviously he had expected to see her, a part of him even hoped, but this wasn't exactly how he had thought it would happen.

Step by step, he makes his way over to her, that familiar wave of protectiveness washes over him. For a brief moment he is pulled back to the night that he had saved her in that very bar so many years ago, only this time the person he's saving her from now is herself.

"Elizabeth." he says tentatively, placing a soft hand upon her shoulder.

"I'm...I must be dreaming." she barely gets out, slurring her words. "You always come to me in my dreams, don't you?"

"I think you've had enough." Jason pulls away the bottle of tequila, smiling slightly at her. "Come on, lets get you to bed."

"Mmhm, you're probabubbly right." she laughs softly at her words, lifting her arms up at him. "Carry me?"

Chuckling at the situation he has found himself in, Jason lifts her up into his arms, ignoring the extremely amused look on Jake's face as he carries Elizabeth upstairs to his room. A strange thought hits him as he cradles her in his arms, the fact that she felt so light in his arms, like she barely weighed much at all.

Laying her down in bed, he takes a moment to look her over, noticing the subtle changes to her appearance, but what her appearance lacked. Maybe it was just because he hasn't seen her in six years or not, but it looked like she needed more than just a friend. It looked like she could use a decent meal, as well. Maybe even a feast.

Her once beautiful creamy complexion has been replaced with a more paler complexion, with the exception of the flushed color that has spread from her neck to her cheeks. Her nice formed limbs have lost its fullness, showing the shape of her bones in various places along her body.

Though he doesn't know what's wrong, he's certain that something is wrong. Making a silent promise to fix whatever it was and get her back to girl he remembers. Back to the vibrant woman he knows her to be. After everything they've been through together, its the least she deserves from him.


	3. Chapter 3

_When someone saves your life. When they find you in the snow and they drag you up. And make you walk. And bring you help when you told them not to. They make you drink gallons of soup. And when they lie to everyone they know. That's more than friends. There's no word for what I feel for you._

Tucking her in snugly, Jason stands by the window, leaning against the wall as he watches over her. When he said goodbye to her, he had truly believed she was in a good place in her life. She no longer mourned for her late boyfriend. She missed him, of course, but she had moved on.

Against all the odds, she stood up for herself, claimed her independence and made her life her own again. In all aspects of the word, he honestly believed that she would be okay with him gone, but it seems the opposite is true. Whatever has happened in the last six years, it was obvious that she was going to need him now more than ever.

Pushing himself away from the wall, he makes his way into the bathroom, grabbing his duffel bag along the way. After the long trip he had just made, he was due for a decent shower, smelling more than a little rank at the moment. Desperately in need of freshening up.

Slowly stripping down, he tosses the articles of clothing onto the floor by the sink before standing beneath the falling water. As the water hits his skin, Jason places his hands against the wall, for balance, as he lowers his head and allows the water to trail down his back. Having forgotten how good it felt to just stand under warm running water for a while.

Before long, he forces himself to lather up and rinse off. He didn't have all the time in the world to just stand under the falling water of the shower. From the looks of it, he had a lot of catching up to do in regard to the town he had once called home. If she's this bad off, lord only knows how everyone else is.

Stepping out of the shower, he quickly dries off his hair, before making a mental note to add getting a haircut to his list of things to do. It was starting to get longer than he likes and he was definitely due for a trim around the edges. Wouldn't want to scare the locals, right?

Moving on to dry off his body, he finds his eyes lingering over the scar on his abdomen, an occurrence that happens more than he'd like to admit. Whenever he finds himself drying off, with his abdomen in view, his gaze always seems to linger on that particular scar. Bringing the, now drunk, brunette to mind almost instantly.

Some nights, while he's laying in some random jungle in a random country, he'd close his eyes and he could almost bring himself back to her studio. Back to the warmth she had brought back to his life during the coldest winter he had ever experienced. On a really good night, he'd remember certain memories vividly, making it feel as if she was really there with him.

The way her cold hands had framed his face, quickly fighting off the fever burning up his cheeks, as she gently lays her cheek against his forehead to check his temperature. He had been in many intimate moments before then, but never like that. No one has ever taken care of him like that before.

_You smell like snow._

_Snow doesn't smell._

_Yes, it does._

That brief exchanged had echoed through his mind many times whenever his attention was drawn to that scar. What he never told her was that snow never smelled like anything until that moment. Because, in that moment, he had realized that snow smelt like her. Pure, refreshing, and unique.

When her life had been threatened, he had wished for only one thing, that their time in her studio never happened. That she never stumbled upon him in the snow and that she never saved him. For he'd rather be dead than to ever put her life at risk. Not after everything she had ever done for him.

During his time away, however, when all he had to keep him company was his own mind, Jason was thankful for their time together. With all the bad reasons hanging over him when he left, having their time together to balance it out was more than he could have ever asked for. Good memories to ward off the bad.

Shaking the memories from his mind, he digs through his duffel bag to grab a fresh pair of clothes, quickly getting dressed before exiting the bathroom. If he were to stand there, thinking of all the good memories she had given him, he'd be standing there for a long time. Something he just couldn't afford at the moment.

Hanging his towel on the back of the desk chair to dry, Jason walks over to the bed, checking on her to make sure she was okay before heading out the door. Setting the waste basket down by the bed, just in case, he quietly heads down to the bar, more that certain that Jake would still be downstairs.

"How is she?" Jake questions him the moment he steps out into the light of the bar.

"You tell me." he counters, walking over to the bar to plop down across from her. "I want to know everything that's happened since I left."

"I know you've been gone a while, so, I'll overlook your tone." Jake says seriously, leaning against the bar to meet his eyes. "With that being said, what makes you think I'd break her confidence to satisfy your curiosity?"

"Because you're just as worried about her as I am." Jason states, meeting her gaze with one of his own. "And you know that I'll do whatever it takes."

After a long moment of staring each other down, Jake broke her natural instinct of silence and told him everything that's been happening since he left town six years ago. None of the other information shocked him as much as finding out that Lucky Spencer was alive and kicking. Whatever that was worth, anyway.

The more she told him, the more he wanted to wrap his hands around Spencer Jr.'s neck and squeeze until his eyes rolled back into his head. All the things that she had willingly done for her first love, only for him to stab her in the back at every turn, made his blood boil.

Obviously she had tried to pull herself out of his orbit, her other two marriages true evidence of that, but - like all first loves - the pull was just too strong. Surely, if he had to be around Robin on a daily basis, it would have been impossible to cut all ties to her. Thankfully, for both of them, she had left, giving them time to go their separate ways.

By the time that Jake had filled him in on everyone from his past, the sun was starting to rise over the horizon, the sky beginning to glow with the first rays of sunlight. Thanking her for giving up her silence to tell him everything, Jason makes his way out of the bar to grab some breakfast, knowing that Elizabeth was going to need something to ward off the hangover.


	4. Chapter 4

_When someone saves your life. When they find you in the snow and they drag you up. And make you walk. And bring you help when you told them not to. They make you drink gallons of soup. And when they lie to everyone they know. That's more than friends. There's no word for what I feel for you._

Head pounding, she slowly opens her eyes, only to quickly shut them as the dim light of day causes her eyes to burn. She was right. Drinking more than half a bottle of tequila to herself was a very bad idea. Jake had also been right, though, it definitely helped while she was drinking. Having been successfully numbed through and through.

Inch by inch, she eases her body off the bed, making her way to the window to shut the blinds, needing the dark for a moment longer as her eyes adjust to being open. It was quite obvious that she wasn't in her own bedroom, vaguely remembering Jake saying something about sleeping upstairs, but the room also felt vaguely familiar, as well. Like a distant memory.

Swiftly shutting the blinds, she blinks her eyes a few times, trying to clear the fog and push aside the raging hangover from her thoughts. As the blurry vision drops away and the room comes into clear sight, she couldn't help the slight smile that touches her lips.

It was his room. The room that Jake has refused to rent out to anyone else. The other woman being just as hopeful as she is that he'd return some day. Of course, from the looks of it, hoping for his return was like hoping for a million dollars to just fall into her lap, no strings attached.

Laughing softly at the thought before groaning in pain at the simple task, she slowly makes her way back to the bed to lay down, swearing that she'll only sleep for a couple more hours. Maybe he'll appear to her like he did last night, finding that she always dreams of him when her life falls to shambles. Needing the comfort only he could provide, now more than ever.

For the last six years, she has missed the way he'd listen without judgement, never telling her how to feel or what to do. Simply listening to her think. What she wouldn't give to have that now. To have him just listen as she rants on before telling her that she had every right to feel the way she feels.

More specifically, to wrap her arms around him as they ride off into the night, chasing down the wind. To have her mind completely blank for however long the ride lasts, escaping the trappings of her life, and just break free again. If only.

Snuggling deeply into the comforts of the pillow and blankets, Elizabeth allows her mind to slowly drift back into dreamland, forsaking what awaits her with the coming morning. Nothing holds enough incentive to convince her to get out of bed just yet. Nothing at all.

That was, of course, until the image of Jason pops into her head, causing her to shoot up in bed. In all the times that she has ever dreamed of him, never once did he have medium length hair that fell over his forehead, slightly covering his eyes. Come to think of it, his body had been a lot more built than she remembered...it couldn't be.

Quickly making her way to the lights, she flicks them on, shielding her eyes for a moment to allow them to adjust before searching the room for any sign that he had been there. That he had really been there and he wasn't just a dream.

The first sign was the damp towel hanging off the back of the desk chair. Seeing as she had been way too drunk to do much of anything, it was relatively safe to say that she wasn't responsible for the damp towel. Taking the towel as a clue, she makes her way into the bathroom, hoping against hope that this was real.

Piled just beneath the sink are a full set of clothes, men's clothing, causing her to kneel down and take the t-shirt into her hands. It sure looked like something he'd wear, but then another thought hit her and she nearly puked all over the floor. He wasn't exactly the only man that wore that kind of clothing.

"Jake wouldn't have..." she whispers to herself as she drops the t-shirt down upon the pile. "...would she? No! It has to be Jason...it has to be."

Rising to her feet, she casts away another other thought, swearing that it had to be Jason. There was just no way she'd ever mistaken those arms. The way he held her as he carried her up the stairs to his old apartment, that deep blue pair of eyes that met hers, there was just no mistaking those arms. No way! Right?

Hearing the door rattle, she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't torn between running out to throw her arms around Jason or finding the nearest exit and running for the hills. Sure, the hangover was still kicking her ass, but it sure as hell beat realizing that she had gone to bed with some random guy.

Slowly walking out into the other room as the door shuts, Elizabeth braces herself for whoever has walked into the apartment. Crossing her fingers as tight as possible that it was Jason that just walked inside and not some guy that she'll undoubtedly have to let down easy. Well, as easy as she can manage with this hangover.

The moment her eyes landed on him, she had absolutely no control of herself, sprinting towards him before throwing her arms around him. Fortunately, for both of them, Jason's reflexes were as great as ever because they would have been on the floor if he didn't react as quickly as he did.

"Its really you." she whispers, clinging to him tightly, forsaking the hangover that rages on in her head. "You're really here. Wait, why are you here? Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

"Elizabeth, slow down." he voices, stopping her from looking him over, realizing that he was going to have to get used to her ramblings again. Not that he minded, but its been a while since he's been in a lengthy conversation with anyone. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" she questions, taking a step back. "The last time we spoke, you made it seem like you were never coming back."

"I wasn't planning to." he admits, picking up the bags from where he dropped them, guiding her towards the bed to eat. "I actually left it up to a coin."

"Do you still have to coin?" she questions, helping him open up the food.

"Yeah." he shakes his head, digging for the coin that had undoubtedly solidified his choice in returning home. "Why?"

"Because I want it." she says simply, snatching it from his hand to slide it into her pocket. "Thank you."

"Another good luck charm?" he guesses, distinctly remembering the time where she had taken his quarter, refusing to give it back.

"Exactly." she states with conviction, pulling out the chain from around her neck, showing him the very coin he had been remembering. "This one was getting a little lonely."

"Of course it was."

"So...you're really back?" she questions carefully, unsure of whether she really wanted the answer or not. "Like for good?"

"Not sure." he concedes. "I don't want to say I am and then I leave."

"Right, of course." she shakes her head, realizing that she should have known that.

"But I'm not leaving any time soon." he voices, seeing the sadness in her eyes. "So, don't worry, okay?"

"Okay." she smiles slightly, shaking away the thoughts of him being gone again. He just got there. Why dwell, right? "I'm starving...lets eat."

"Sure."

She could see him watching her carefully as they ate, but she didn't care. If he's still the same Jason that she knew before, she knows he'll start asking questions and she'll have to answer them, her motormouth making it damn near impossible to, but that'll happen later. For now, she just wants to relish in the fact that he's there, having breakfast with her, taking care of her.

After six years of taking care of Lucky and all the other crap that has happened in her life, she was thankful to have Jason back in her life. The one person she doesn't have to fake it with. The one person she can just drop all her defenses and simply exist with. Because if she knows anything about Jason, its that he'd never hurt her. He was just too, well, Jason for that.

"You grew out your hair." she comments, smiling softly as he lifts his gaze to meet her eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen it this long before."

"I don't usually grow it out."

"I like it." she admits, taking a drink of the smoothie he had gotten for her. "I can't explain it, but it suits you."

"If you think so." he smiles slightly, seeing some color returning to her features. "I guess I'll keep it."


End file.
